The present invention relates broadly to a fountain aerator of the motordriven type which creates aeration by aesthetically spraying water into the air. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a floating fountain aerator employing a particular arrangement of components which will enable water to be simultaneously propelled and aerated in greater volumes with increased flow rates and vertical height using less power then prior known devices.
Using floating fountains to provide water aeration is a common practice. For example, it is known to pump water from a pond or lagoon generally vertically into the air. As the water drops back to the pond, it forms a spray of droplets that absorb oxygen. This practice helps keep the pond high in dissolved oxygen which is especially beneficial to industry and municipalities for aerobic water and sewage treatment processes. The continuing cycle of oxygen circulation supports aerobic bacterial action resulting in clearer, cleaner odor-free water. In addition to performing a biological function, a column or fountain of water also has high aesthetic appeal. For those reasons, many parks and commercial buildings are landscaped with ponds having water fountains.
One example of an aerating water fountain is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,382 issued Aug. 3, 1999 to Gross et al. In this patent, a fountain has a float with an aperture running through its center, and a propeller-like recouperator is mounted in the bottom of the aperture. The fountain also has an electric motor with an open blade-type impeller and housing therefor coupled to its shaft. The motor is mounted to the float such that the impeller is located beneath the recouperator and immediately adjacent to the bottom of the float aperture. A nozzle plate is releasably coupled to a top side of the float in such a manner that it may be adjusted to bring a different nozzle into alignment with the float aperture. While the Gross et al. patent provides for a quick and easy changing of the nozzle and resulting water spray pattern, the individual design of and collective arrangement of its components can be improved so as to enhance the overall pumping performance of the fountain.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a differently-styled, ornamental fountain aerator which is capable of producing greater outputs of water at greater heights with a reduced amount of power.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a fountain aerator which employs a unique flow straightener in combination with a closed-type impeller and a wear ring.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a fountain aerator which does not rely upon a centrifugal pump, a propeller or a diffuser.
In one aspect of the invention, a fountain aerator for propelling and aerating water includes a float having a flow tube extending therethrough for suspending the aerator in a body of water. A motor base assembly contains a motor provided with a rotatable output shaft. An open-ended housing is spaced from the float and is connected between the flow tube and the motor base assembly. A wear ring is secured within the housing and defines a central opening therein. A covered impeller is retained in the housing in spaced relationship with the float, and is coupled to the motor output shaft for rotation therewith. The impeller has an upper wall and a lower wall interconnected by a number of radially extending blades. The impeller also-has a water admitting inlet depending from the lower wall and extending through the central opening for rotation therein. The upper wall, the lower wall and the blades define a series of outlet passages in communication with the inlet. With this construction, the impeller creates centrifugal output streams of water when the motor output shaft rotates, and the wear ring minimizes return flow of water through the inlet.
The impeller includes a central hub for receiving the motor output shaft. Each of the blades is curved and has an inner end located between the hub and the inlet, and an outer end positioned between the upper wall and the lower wall. Each of the blades sweeps outwardly and upwardly from the inner end to the outer end. The flow tube has an upper end projecting above the float, and a lower end projecting beneath the float. The motor base assembly includes a support stand extending upwardly therefrom. The housing has a top open end connected to the lower end of the flow tube, and a bottom open end attached to the support stand. The wear ring is secured within the bottom open end of the housing. A bottom wall of the wear ring is substantially flush with a bottom end of the impeller inlet.
In another aspect of the invention, a fountain aerator for propelling and aerating water includes a float having a flow tube extending therethrough for suspending the aerator in a body of water. A motor base assembly contains a motor provided with rotatable output shaft. An open ended housing is spaced from the float and connected between the flow tube and the motor base assembly. A wear ring is secured within the housing and defines a central opening therein. A covered impeller is retained in the housing in spaced relationship with the float and is coupled to the motor output shaft for rotation therewith. The impeller has an upper wall and a lower wall interconnected by a number of radially extending blades. The impeller also includes a water admitting inlet depending from the lower wall and extending through the central opening for rotation therein. The upper wall, the lower wall and the blades define a series of outlet passages in communication with the inlet. A flow straightener is spaced from the float and is fixed to the housing in overlying, surrounding relationship with the impeller. The flow straightener has flow straightening slot structure overlapping the outlet passages of the impeller for propelling substantially vertical streams of water upwardly through the flow tube.
The flow straightener is crown-shaped and includes an upper portion and outer wall encircling the upper portion. The upper portion is recessed to rotatably receive an enlarged top section of the impeller. The outer wall is formed with a plurality of spaced apart, angularly and upwardly extending fingers defining the slot structure between adjacent pairs of fingers. The outer wall has a lower, solid ring portion defining a bottom end of the flow straightener which rests upon the wear ring and lies adjacent an inner surface of a bottom end of the housing. Each finger has an angular segment disclosed at generally a 45 degree angle relative to the bottom end of the flow straightener, and a vertical segment extending at generally a 90 degree angle relative to the bottom end of the flow straightener. Each finger has a width and a length which is greater than its width. The angular segment of each finger has identically-shaped opposed surfaces which increase in depth as the angular segment progresses upwardly toward the vertical segment. The vertical segment of each finger has opposed surfaces which diverge from each other in a radial direction. The slot structure includes a number of flow straightening slots extending generally axially of a longitudinal axis of the flow straightener. Each of the slots has an angular portion and a vertical portion extending from the angular portion. The angular portions of the slots overlie the outlet passages of the impeller. The impeller blades have outer ends that extend across the angular portions of the slots.
In yet a further aspect of the invention, a fountain aerator flow straighter is adapted to straighten the centrifugal flow of water emanating from a rotatable impeller. The flow straighter includes a crown-shaped body having a cylindrical upper portion and a cylindrical outer wall encircling the upper portion. The body is adapted to overlie and surround the impeller. The upper portion is recessed and adapted to rotatably receive an enlarged top section of the impeller. The outer wall is formed with a plurality of flow straightening, angularly and upwardly extending slots adapted to overlap outlet passages of the impeller. The slots are constructed and arranged to carry and transport increasing volumes of water as the paths of the slots proceed upwardly.
The slots extend generally axially of the longitudinal axis of the flow straightener. The slots are formed by a number of flow straightening fingers. Each finger has an angular segment disposed at a 45 degree angle relative to a bottom end of the flow straightener, and a vertical segment extending at a generally 90 degree angle relative to the bottom end of the flow straightener. Each finger has a width and a length which is greater than its width. The angular segment of each finger has identically-shaped, opposed surfaces which increase in surface area as the angular segment progresses upwardly toward the vertical segment. The vertical segment of each finger has opposed surfaces which diverge from each other in a radial direction. Each slot has an angular portion and a vertical portion extending from the angular portion. Each angular segment opposed surface is connected to each vertical segment opposed surface by a radiused area.
Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.